ONline Poker is the worst thing that's ever happened to mme

[JYB]

i really can't get away from it and it's abusive to my personality. i don't eat, i don't sleep, i just hate myself when i play. f*ck this.

[elementz]

When you get some bad beats, go on tilt and piss away your entire bank roll, then you will be able to walk away for a bit ;)

But good luck. Which site do you play on?

[FlopShotArtist]

You could always block the site from yourself?

[Chief Broom]

You might look into Gamblers Anonymous. Like any addiction it can easily ruin your life. Your best bet is to confront this head on and not try to dismiss the problem. Good luck.

[Dent]

Talk to Ben, He was talking about how he was in the same boat. Your going to lose money man, get out.

[elementz]

I have been playing online poker for 3 years and quite successfully for the latter 2 years. I have confidence in my game and feel I can beat the limits for a nice profit when I play. But, even now, one of the most important things is to make sure you are in the correct mind state while playing. Never play when your mind is altered or emotional, otherwise you will lose money in the long run.

I have found online poker extremely profitable when everything is clicking and is a very good way to supplement your income, but there is a time where you have to step back at some point.

[kafka01]

i really can't get away from it and it's abusive to my personality. i don't eat, i don't sleep, i just hate myself when i play. f*ck this.

Supplementing your income is fine with it - BUT if you dont know what you are doing, and from what i read, at least your mental approach to this game (like in golf the mental side takes a huge part of the skill you need to beat the game) seems to be very very wrong - take your losses and get away.

(Online)poker is not something you can learn in a couple of weeks and think you can make money with - it takes a long time and a strong personality and a very unaddictive mindset!

[elementz]

Supplementing your income is fine with it - BUT if you dont know what you are doing, and from what i read, at least your mental approach to this game (like in golf the mental side takes a huge part of the skill you need to beat the game) seems to be very very wrong - take your losses and get away.

I agree with Kafka. When I first started online, I thought I would become rich instantly. I always dominated my home games, local cash games, etc but online was much much different. As I said, my first full year was a losing year, not by much but still in the red.

I invested in a program called Poker Tracker. Wow, what a difference, that program records and analyzes every little detail. I noticed I was playing hands that looked good but were absolute trash, cut those hands out and noticed a big difference. Also started focusing more on position and knowing when to call, raise, fold. It was pretty amazing how much my game changed. I highly recommend PT, you should be able to download a free trial, full version is $60ish I think. It's a little overwhelming but it makes a huge difference, at least for me. If you ever want to talk anything poker, ie strategy, hand analysis, feel free to send me a pm. That's why I love this game, it takes 10 minutes to learn but a lifetime to master.

[BASHERBAKER69]

thesandtrap.com is also quite addictive as far as the internet goes so i can empathise.

in gambling you should work out how much you can afford to lose and stick to that perameter. In Casino Sam Rothstein says 'they always win' (the casino), and he's right. Whenever ive been to a betting shop or casino I always make the observation that they are full of people who havent got any money. A lot of people are claiming social security and gambling that in the UK because they are desperate.

[kafka01]

It would be completly wrong to compare games as blackjack or roulette to poker. In blackjack you are mathematical forced to lose over the longrun - in poker (at least if you know your edge against the other opponents) this changes and people who learn and invest into there game win over the longrun. But obv. there are people who arent able to judge if they have an edge against their opponents or not (and they still need to beat the house rake before they get profitable) and that sets them into the 95 % category of donators in this game.

[LottaBalata]

It would be completly wrong to compare games as blackjack or roulette to poker. In blackjack you are mathematical forced to lose over the longrun - in poker (at least if you know your edge against the other opponents) this changes and people who learn and invest into there game win over the longrun. But obv. there are people who arent able to judge if they have an edge against their opponents or not (and they still need to beat the house rake before they get profitable) and that sets them into the 95 % category of donators in this game.

I agree that you can't look at poker as a card game, its a people game. 1/2 the time, the cards aren't seen, it doesn't even matter what cards you have. Its all about the play made. But as far as the thread topic. . .one of the things I've noticed about "screengames", whether it be Gran Turismo on my PS2, or sitting in front of a computer playing poker, the visual effects are stimulating. I get into that tunnelvision--the only thing I see is the screen. TURN IT OFF! Try a live game, so you can socialize a bit with the other players at the table. Eat and drink can be brought right to ya if you're in a casino. I know there's chatting for online poker, but when you're playing 12 tables, who has time to chat right!?!? And def. set yourself money parameters. Don't blow all your dough playing cards. I've quit for the last 4 or 5 months. I've played more golf this year than I have in many years, and I'm loving it.